With the 2025 NFL draft quickly approaching, it feels like the New England Patriots have perhaps the most important pick in the draft with the No. 4 overall selection. With a bevy of options at their disposal, what the Patriots end up doing will likely depend on who gets picked ahead of them. One of the players they continue to get linked to is LSU football offensive tackle Will Campbell, and that's who Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has them selecting in his final mock draft.
New England did well to address several of their top needs in free agency, but they did not find a proper option to fill in at left tackle for them, which means they will need to select someone who can play that position for them in the draft. Despite concerns about his arm length, Campbell is viewed as the top tackle in this draft class, which could lead to the Patriots staying put and selecting him with this pick.
“With Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter unavailable, the Patriots could listen to trade offers in case a quarterback-needy team wanted to jump on Shedeur Sanders. I'm not projecting trades here, but even if I were, there's a good chance New England might just stand pat and take Campbell. The Patriots allowed pressure on a league-worst 39.4% of their dropbacks last season, and Drake Maye is entering his first full season as the starting quarterback. They have to be better in pass protection,” Kiper wrote.
“Campbell would slide in at left tackle. I'm not overly worried about his 32⅝-inch arms; he plays longer than that. Campbell can land a quick first punch and use his great overall technique and agility to keep pass rushers at bay. He has 38 games of experience, and pairing him with new right tackle Morgan Moses would buy Maye more time in the pocket.”
Should Patriots select Will Campbell with No. 4 overall pick in 2025 NFL draft?
The consensus heading into the draft is that Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are the two best players on the board, so if either of them fall to New England at the No. 4 pick, it's fair to wonder whether they would select them. In Kiper's mock, both Hunter and Carter are off the board, which puts the Patriots in an intriguing spot; do they stay put and select Campbell, or do they trade back and attempt to accrue some draft capital?
If Shedeur Sanders is still on the board, which he is in this case, the Patriots could hope a quarterback-needy team would want to move up to get him, but there's no telling if they will get a trade offer that moves them enough to deal this pick. And if that doesn't come to fruition, staying put and selecting their left tackle of the future would be the most plausible decision for the team to make.
